Rafael Nadal last appeared on a tennis court in July while losing a second-round match at Wimbledon. A knee injury cost him a chance to defend his Olympic gold medal in men’s singles and he missed his first U.S. Open since 2002. While the layoff has been disappointing, Nadal said his knee is getting better and he hopes to return to the practice court soon.

“I am working hard every day to try and recover as quick as possible,’’ the 26-year-old Spaniard said in a conference call yesterday to showcase a March 4, 2013 exhibition match against Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro to take place at the Garden.

“I am feeling a little bit better now than in the first couple of months,’’ he said. “It has been very, very tough for me. I am working to try to come back to practice in the tennis court in not a very long period of time.”

Nadal, winner of 11 Grand Slam titles, didn’t completely close the door on possibly returning in November for the Davis Cup finals saying, “Impossible it’s not, but difficult, yes. We’ll go day by day.”

Though the injury (partially torn patella tendon in his left knee) is expected to sideline him for at least another four weeks, he may not play in any more tournaments in 2012.

Nadal made it clear he wasn’t going to rush back and would only start practicing once he is fully healthy.

“When my knee is completely healthy, I can imagine that’s when I’ll come back. I hope that will happen soon, so I will come back on the tennis court and be competitive,” he said.

If not for the Del Potro match, Nadal would have had to wait until at least the 2013 U.S. Open to play in New York. While it isn’t Flushing Meadows and the stakes aren’t nearly as high, Nadal said he is thrilled at the opportunity to play at the Garden.

“Playing a match in Madison Square Garden is something that I am very excited to do and a very special opportunity,” he said. “You want to have the best time possible for the fans watching the match, but sure I want to win.”

The first match of the evening will feature No. 3 Serena Williams against current No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in a rematch of this year’s U.S. Open finals, won by Williams. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com or at the Garden box office.